In each of the four gospel accounts of the resurrection, Mary Magdalene plays a prominent role. In all four gospels, when the names of the women who visited the empty tomb are mentioned, Mary Magdalene is always the first name. Of course, in the gospel of John, we are told that she came alone in the dark, and some commentators believe that Mary Magdalene may have visited the tomb at least three times on that first Easter morning.
I don’t think that the Holy Spirit does anything arbitrarily. Therefore, there must be a significant reason why Mary Magdalene is honored the way she is by having her name mentioned first. I believe it’s because she carried a “foremost” anointing on her life. As a matter of fact, Mark 16 tells us that she was the first person that the resurrected Jesus revealed Himself to. I don’t know about you, but that kind of blows my mind because if I had not known what Mark 16 says about that, and you had asked me who would I believe that the resurrected Jesus would first reveal himself to, I would’ve said His mother, or John, or Peter. The reality is if you study the life of Mary Magdalene as recorded in Scripture’s you would not find it hard to understand why Jesus would reveal himself to her first or why her name is always mentioned first in those Easter morning events.
It is important to realize that Jesus does not love any one person more than he does anyone else and so when I talk about a “foremost” anointing I am not saying that Jesus loved Mary Magdalene more; I am simply saying that Mary Magdalene loved Jesus with such extravagance that she postured herself to experience more of Him than most. John 11 makes it very clear that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus the same, and yet when Jesus came to Bethany four days after Lazarus had died, Martha’s encounter with Jesus moved him to speak truth to her, but Mary provoked Him to weep. Again, Jesus did not love Mary more than Martha, but Mary, who sat at His feet beholding His face, listening to His voice, loved Jesus with such a fierce lovesickness that she was able to see and experience things that others didn’t. A heart truly wasted on Jesus has its reward. Give all; Take all.